How many times have you been shopping on Amazon, added the items you want to your cart and have then been told “Wait! Add just $2.97 to qualify for Free Super Saver Shipping”? Maybe not that exact amount, but you get the idea. What happens next is hours of searching to find something to plug the hole. Well, not any more. (See also: 3 Reasons Why Buying Groceries Online is Great)

After a frustrating weekend of looking around on Amazon for items that only qualified for Super Saver Shipping (SSS), I discovered a few interesting facts: one, Amazon have not made it easy for you to find these items; two, the items you do find are often way above the price you need to fill the gap.

So, I did some hunting around. I left messages at various boards on Google Groups, and I waited for the answers. I was not disappointed.

Here are my top three ways to find filler items on Amazon to get you to that magical $25 total.

1. The Code Addendum

This is my favorite because it focuses the search one exactly what you want to find. Simply do a search as normal, say for a piggy bank, and then add the following code &emi=ATVPDKIKX0DER at the end of address box and hit “enter.”

Now all of your results should qualify for SSS. A sprinkling don’t, maybe a flaw in Amazon’s labeling system, but you’ll have tons of choice. (By the way, my favorite was this one. It’s like our Wisebread piggy has caught measles or something.)

2. The Search Engine

This one from FillerItem couldn’t be simpler, although you don’t get quite the focus of the first. Simply put the amount you need to spend to get to $25 in the box, and then check the boxes for the areas you’d like to search. You’ll get a huge list of items, based on the boxes you checked, that hit the magical number you put in the box.

3. The Handy Filler List

A site called FreebieVille has a pre-populated list of things you can use to plug the holes and reach the $25 mark. With items in the pennies, this can be invaluable.

I’d much rather order something for 52 cents, and give it away to someone who could use it, than pay $7 on shipping. I think we all would.

So there you have it. Hours of endless searching have just vanished. Instead, you are now armed with three foolproof strategies to get you to that $25 free shipping figure every single time you shop.

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BEG #1

I simply wait. I know that I'll want something else later on as well, so I let items accumulate in my cart until I'm safely there and then order. Other than for one or two xmas rush items (sigh), I haven't paid shipping with amazon for years.

I did that with a terrific speaker set by JBL, and when I went to check out 2 days later they were out of stock. When they did come back in stock, the price had gone way up. Not saying it's not wise to wait, just make sure that you don't miss out by playing the waiting game, especially if you're only a few bucks shy of the magical $25.

This has happened to me several times. Also I have run into a price jump. When I went back to make the purchase, I found a little note at the top of the page informing me that my big-ticket item's price had increased since my last visit... That is a definite let-down. In order to avoid this happening again, I have played the fill-up-the-cart game many times. I am very happy to learn there are easier ways to accomplish this. Thanks for this very useful information!

I am addicted to Amazon Prime, which nets you free 2-day shipping on any priced item that is eligible for SSS. My 1 year purchase of that is up soon, so I will have to be on the look out for a sign up deal again. On of the best $39 dollars I ever spent.

I know paying for something that you could have gotten for free won't sit well with most of the frugal crowd though.

Only other consideration is if your original purchase is needed in a specific time frame.
The additional item generally needs to be of a similar nature I have found. If I am ordering a couple of DVD's or CD's, and I added something else (kitchen item from amazon), it delays the whole order a little few days to 2 weeks regardless of the claimed 'ship date' on each item. My theory is if you order the same type items (all DVD's) they are in the same amazon warehouse and get shipped quicker than different type items which may be in different warehouses.

http://slickdeals.net/slickfillers/ has a nice filler tool. You enter the amount that you need and it shows you things in that range. I have noticed some that are not eligible for SSS so be careful. (also some great deals on the main page)

The $25 limit isn't there because a customer spending $25 makes shipping free for Amazon. It's there to encourage people to make larger purchases.

Amazon is banking on the fact that most people who need to spend six more dollars to get free shipping will end up tossing a CD or something in their cart, bumping up the sale by far more than the difference needed to qualify for free shipping.

I shop online to save time, because stores are a hassle. Spending time looking for some $5.92 item doesn't seem frugal, it seems wasteful. Especially as very few useful items are in that sort of price range.

If my total at Amazon is insufficient I just add one of the many books on my wishlist. Being anywhere from $7-$13, these immediately complete my order, while rewarding me with a book I've wanted for some time.

Of course, this only works because I never buy from my wishlist *except* when I need it for shipping.

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I love the ideas from you and your readers about how to save money on Amazon. The folks at Amazon are brilliant with the SUPER SAVER SHIPPING deal, because it does make us all click a bit more on Amazon, doesn't it? It's just one more reason that I've found Amazon wins over eBay. Anyway, Kudos to you for bringing these tools our way!

On the topic of saving money, I've found that Amazon doesn't have many cash back reward opportunities. At the bottom of my Web site I have a way for you to earn a $5 bonus when you shop Amazon:

Thanks a million! I'm extremely busy, and just needed a filler with an item I was buying for my niece's baby. I felt under pressure, since I'd be shipping to her brother's address, and she'll only be in the country for a few weeks yet. Yada yada. This article was so useful to me!

Very informative post and those sites mentioned are good for finding cheap filler items. I'm sure many people don't know about this. For an Amazon Filler Item Finder I’ve been using the Amazon Filler Item Finder and that site has been amazing for Amazon Filler Items and the Amazon Gold Box Deals feed.

Buy something not yet released, and then cancel that item later! Amazon won't charge until the item is actually shipped, so if you get something a few months out, you just have to wait for the items you actually want to ship, and then cancel the one that's not out.